The Invitation(62)

For Kathryn Myers, still sleeping on her couch, the terror of her fitful, disturbing dream is slowly subsiding. With her phone turned off, she will sleep until morning before she learns about what happened in Miami. A pall of desolate grief and inconsolable sorrow waits for her with the morning news.





Chapter Nineteen



When the next day’s morning sun rises, it shines on a nation and a world that is changed forever. For people across the globe, and especially for those in America, the worst has been confirmed. The President of the United States has been assassinated, and a nation numb with grief gropes with the realization of its sudden loss. The events of the last few days have stunned and traumatized the people of the United States and the entire world. It’s difficult to overstate the impact of last night’s events. When the terrible moment came at 1:16 in the morning, hundreds of millions were watching. Surprisingly, very few television networks are replaying the tragic footage, perhaps fearing a sharp reaction of disapproval from the public. To show the obliterating impact that a high-speed ballistic projectile has on a human cranium is distasteful enough, but when that cranium belongs to the President of the United States, re-witnessing the event is considered luridly gratuitous. For most, the visually graphic nature of the killing is emotionally, and psychologically, it’s most disturbing aspect.

As Kathryn Myers rouses from her sleep, she is experiencing the last few seconds of familiar normalcy in her life that she will ever know. Still groggy from her disquieting rest, she doesn’t immediately comprehend the import of what’s being said on her television. For a moment she wonders if she’s still dreaming, but when she slowly stands, and hears the announcer’s words, the full impact of its sudden realization strikes her. Her knees buckle and touch the floor, and a bitter effusion of tears and wailing begins. The nation’s sorrow is now her sorrow, magnified many times over. The announcer’s words cut sharply and deeply.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we know so far. Last night at 1:16 in the morning, the President of the United States received a single and fatal gunshot wound to the head, killing him instantly. The assassin was a man named Todd Keniston, who was shot and killed himself, by authorities only seconds after the President was killed. What we know about him is that he’s an ex-marine who worked extensively overseas as a military contractor. He lives, or used to live in North Carolina, he was recently divorced from his wife, and uh, we now have it confirmed that while he was in the Marines he received sniper training. Authorities now are saying that when federal agents searched the home of Todd Keniston earlier this morning in North Carolina, they found a number of weapons including four assault rifles, so he was, uh, apparently very proficient with weapons.

“It’s almost inconceivable to think that any other news story could rank in importance with the assassination of a President, but that is exactly what we’re dealing with right now. What the world has seen in the past few days is nothing short of astonishing. Our civilization has apparently had its first extended encounter with an intelligent creature from another world. Whether or not the assassination of our President is somehow linked to this incredible event is still very unclear.

“All right, we’re just getting word that a news conference is scheduled to begin at FBI Headquarters here in Washington with Director Slaughter, CIA Director Stuart, and several Senators That’s scheduled for ten o’clock, about a half hour from now, so we will certainly go live with that news conference as soon as it begins.”

Staggering to her feet, Kathryn Myers turns the TV off, and with the personal weight of deep unbearable anguish walks to her bedroom and lays down sobbing, totally grief stricken. The normal life that she has lived to this point is now over, and will never return.

Meanwhile, outside of FBI headquarters two men sit in their car and carefully consider what they will be saying in this important press conference beginning shortly. CIA Director Paul Stuart and Senator Jack Fields have good reason to prepare themselves for this encounter with the media. For these two men who conspired to have the President murdered, it’s imperative that they control the direction and content of this news conference. As the two men sit, Senator Fields nervously checks his watch.

“How much time do we have?” the CIA director asks.

“Right now it’s 9:35.”

“Okay, so let’s go over this once more, just briefly. We need to stay ahead of this thing.”

“I wish we could let this thing just blow over, but we can’t.”

“It’s just a matter of time before Merrick, or somebody in the FBI, starts talking to the press about the secret file on Myers.”